Stormers kick off 2013 plans
11 Jan 2013
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee named a 36-man squad for the team’s pre-season camp in Hermanus.
Coetzee will take a big squad to Hermanus as the team prepares for this year’s Super Rugby tournament. All first-choice players have been included (like wing Bryan Habana who will join Toulon later this year), as well as several WP age-group representatives.
Jaco Taute, Elton Jantjies, Pat Cilliers, Michael Rhodes and Ruan Botha, who all arrived in the Cape from the Lions, will also be part of the squad.
The Stormers will play two warm-up matches against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein (2 February) and the Boland Cavaliers in Wellington (9 February).
Stormers pre-season squad – Gio Aplon, Ederies Arendse, Don Armand, Andries Bekker, Ruan Botha, Schalk Burger, Nizaam Carr, Deon Carstens, Pat Cilliers, Kurt Coleman, Damian de Allende, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Dewaldt Duvenage, Rynhardt Elstadt, Eben Etzebeth, Deon Fourie, Nic Groom, Bryan Habana, Brok Harris, Pat Howard, Elton Jantjies, Steven Kitshoff, Berton Klaasen, Siya Kolisi, Tiaan Liebenberg, Frans Malherbe, Sikumbuzo Notshe, Joe Pietersen, Michael Rhodes, Louis Schreuder, De Kock Steenkamp, Tim Swiel, Jaco Taute, Gerhard van den Heever, Duane Vermeulen.
Not considered because of injury – JP du Plessis, Scarra Ntubeni, Gary van Aswegen
Still in Japan – Peter Grant
56 Comments
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11 Jan 2013, 13:30 pm
Good squad, backline is going to be a real fight for positions.
11 Jan 2013, 13:34 pm
So the team will probably be:
15.) Jaco Taute
14.) Gio Aplon
13.) Juan de Jongh
12.) Jean De Villiers
11.) Bryan Habana
10.) Elton Jantjies
9.) Dewald Duvenage
8.) Duane Vermeulen
7.) Michael Rhodes
6.) Schalk Burger
5.) Andries Bekker
4.) Eben Etzebeth
3.) Pat Cilliers
2.) Tiaan Liebenberg
1.) Steven Kitchoff
16.) Deon Fourie
17.) Brok Harris
18.) Ruan Botha
19.) Siya Kolisi
20.) Louis Schroeder
21.) Peter Grant
22.) Joe Pietersen
11 Jan 2013, 13:40 pm
good to see tim swiel in the super squad…
him and ej to make the 10 their own…
11 Jan 2013, 14:08 pm
Why is always injured Gary Van Aswegen still there. More should have been done to keep Catriakilis.
@RugbyStudent-2:
Where’s Elstadt ? Would also think of adding some pace to the loose trio , Siya or Deon F.
11 Jan 2013, 14:15 pm
Which position do Sikumbuzo Notshe cover? Never heard about him. Is he under 21?
My projection rookie of the year will be De Allende.
Looking forward to see how good Michael Rhodes is, has not previously seen much of him
Maybe it is Louis Schreuder year – only at end of last year he started to impress me
11 Jan 2013, 14:25 pm
duvenage should go to japan he is useless…his boxkicks are 2nd to hougaards in predictability & inefficacy…
groom & louis..
11 Jan 2013, 14:30 pm
@Transformation-6: Scrumhalves in general should not be allowed to box kick.
11 Jan 2013, 14:32 pm
what’s happened to marcell brache?
11 Jan 2013, 14:37 pm
@RugbyStudent-2: I’d play Joe Pietersen ahead of Taute.
11 Jan 2013, 14:40 pm
@willievz-7:
@willievz-9:
I like the way your’re thinking
11 Jan 2013, 14:42 pm
Hougie would do good to move back to Cape Town.
11 Jan 2013, 14:44 pm
@willievz-9:
I’d do to if Jantjies wasn’t playing.
11 Jan 2013, 14:57 pm
Stormers lack an out and out fetcher…..
would be great if we had a Brussow, F Louw or Steggmann in our team.
Pity D Fourie doesent want a permanent move to openside.
11 Jan 2013, 15:36 pm
So… Marcel Brache really didn’t last very long
Looks a good squad. Probably would’ve gone with Dillyn Leyds ahead of a guy like Kurt Coleman though. Same with Kobus van Wyk ahead of Berton Klaasen.
Very interesting that Sikhumbuzo Notshe can make the Stormers training group but not Dawie Therons U-20 training group. A late call-up perhaps!?
11 Jan 2013, 15:37 pm
@grant10-13:
As far as I understand the Stormers philosophy is that the fetching job is a shared duty (hooker, eightman and flankers)
11 Jan 2013, 15:52 pm
AC should tell Deon Fourie to stick to no 6 (where he is excellent).
Everybody (except Skoppy) knows he cannot and will never be able to find his jumpers with the consistency requires of a hooker at this level.
The time for Scarra to back up and to alternate with Liebenberg has arrived.
11 Jan 2013, 16:32 pm
Hooker problems! Maybe Stormers should ask the SA under 20 hooker of last year to join them, he looked quite impressive – I think he was from Gauteng
Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – What would a Stormers campaign in, or at least approaching, Super Rugby be without an injury epidemic in a particular position?
This time hooker appears to be the target of a mini-hoodoo, although with several weeks remaining to the start of the competition-proper, coach Allister Coetzee is taking the setback fairly comfortably in his stride.
The defending SA conference champions are well-versed in flyhalves dropping like flies, and last season loose forward was a special area of predicament at times – they lost captain Schalk Burger for the remainder of the year very early on in their campaign, against the Hurricanes at Newlands, and then all of Duane Vermeulen, Siya Kolisi, Rynhardt Elstadt and Nizaam Carr were gradually sidelined for lengthy periods as the 2012 season progressed.
Things look immeasurably rosier in that department as the 2013 slog beckons, with all of the above stars named in a 36-strong party for a pre-season camp in Hermanus next week.
Bu now there is a hiccup at No 2: likely first-choice Tiaan Liebenberg, who is also arguably their best hooker from a scrummaging point of view, is still in recovery mode – albeit well advanced – from a back injury the Springbok sustained in October.
The situation was aggravated earlier this week when Scarra Ntubeni, the mobile young customer who shone in the Currie Cup-winning campaign, experienced what Coetzee on Friday branded a “freak shoulder accident” at training.
“He fell over and someone then landed on top of him,” the coach explained at a media briefing.
“He will be re-assessed after four weeks … so hopefully no need for an operation.”
Liebenberg is touch-and-go to start the Super Rugby campaign and unlikely to see service, as a result, in either pre-season friendly against the Cheetahs (Bloemfontein, February 2) and Boland Cavaliers (Wellington, February 9).
“Tiaan is going on camp; he can do static stuff like lineout throwing, although no contact yet, and we hope to have him ready for the first game (away to the Bulls on February 22).
“That is a not too conservative (expectation) … if I am going to be conservative I would say it could be second or third round of the competition.”
Coetzee confirmed that this left ever-useful utility forward Deon Fourie as “the only hooker standing” at present.
“No thoughts of open-side flank for him right now,” he told Sport24. “But we are also still a few weeks away from selection matters in (Super Rugby itself).”
As a precaution, the Stormers have already begun scouring the landscape for a temporary, standby hooker.
“We are looking at getting a hooker from outside; we do need an extra one now, although I’m not ready to announce anything yet.”
11 Jan 2013, 16:34 pm
@Robzim-16: I also would like that scenario….D Fourie has all the attributes to be an outstanding opensider…but now with both Scarra and Liebenberg out there is even talk of Stormers getting in another hooker….so Deon is currently the only fit 2 left standing….hope AC makes a move on Schalk Brits!
@TooMuchRugby-15: Flawed philosophy mate….
11 Jan 2013, 16:58 pm
@Jonck-17:
@grant10-18:
Fark, thats not a good start. Brits would be my choice too, he is made for Super rugby. .Lets hope Scarra is not too serious, he was really impressive last season, not only in the basics but also brought some youthful exuberance and impressive ball skills to the side.
11 Jan 2013, 17:06 pm
@Robzim-19: If the Newlands Suits are serious about finally winning this damn elusive trophy they need to go for broke and not fark around…..get Brits!!
my concern is also amongst the loosies….a lot of top class blindsiders and 8 men
farkall opensiders….Kolisi about the best option if D Fourie wont go there…
11 Jan 2013, 17:31 pm
Schalk Brits would be ideal. The guy just wants to win. You need people like him in your team.
On the other hand, I see no sane reason as to why Saracens would even consider loaning him out or letting him go.
The Stormers should then look at either Freddie Kirsten or Stephan Coetzee. We don’t need hookers from the outside.
11 Jan 2013, 17:32 pm
@grant10-20:
I wonder whether Schalk is really fit (last time I heard from an “alternative” source he was still struggling) and whether he will still insist on the number 6 jersey.
Bit concerned about the captaincy as well- not sure whether either Schalk or Jean will be first choice players on merit – AC has a lot to think about.
11 Jan 2013, 17:47 pm
@Robzim-22:
said during the EOYT… imo… they should make eben captain…
he’s one of the few absolutely assured of his place barring injury… and leadership may smooth a few rough edges and curb his penchant for taking the enforcer talk too seriously…
sure he’s young… but can grow into the role with schalk and jean to assist… and be captain for a decade or more…
11 Jan 2013, 17:57 pm
@ufo-23:
It might just be a very good idea but I doubt whether AC will take such a bold step.
11 Jan 2013, 18:00 pm
@Robzim-24:
yeah rob…
much as i would like to see it happen…
i won’t hold my breath…!!
11 Jan 2013, 18:05 pm
@ufo-25:
I just hope he does not pull a “******” out of the hat ( as Peter de Villiers used to say) and makes Duvenhage the captain
I am out for now, cu around…
11 Jan 2013, 18:07 pm
@Robzim-26:
yeah rob… let’s hope not…
see you next time…
cheers
11 Jan 2013, 18:10 pm
I would have kept D Fourie as skipper…
11 Jan 2013, 18:26 pm
@grant10-28: Me too Grant. The squad felt very different with him at the helm.
11 Jan 2013, 18:27 pm
@grant10-28:
AC can’t insult JdV that way, he’s the current Stormers and Bok captain, why demote him?
11 Jan 2013, 18:30 pm
@victoriabok-30: So lets insult the player that lead WP to a first CC in 11 years…..
And if they select Schalk? Will that not be insulting JDV as well?
i WOULD STICK WITH d OURIE SO AS TO ALLOW ac TO ROTATE jdv AND sCHALK ON A REGULAR BASIS…
Fark…sorrt caps..
11 Jan 2013, 18:37 pm
@grant10-31:
Barney was the Bok captain and when he played for the Sharks theirs as well, the same with VM and the Bulls
Schalk hasn’t played for a long time, he needs gametime first and AC won’t put the extra pressure of captaincy on him now
Did Deon even start all the Stormers matches last year?
11 Jan 2013, 19:03 pm
@victoriabok-32: Media reports indicate that Schalk will be the captain Vicbok:
http://www.sportlive.co.za/rugby/superrugby/2013/01/11/burger-set-to-captain-stormers
Which has made some of us the moer in.
11 Jan 2013, 19:04 pm
Everybody knows the long connection that exists between rugby and farming,particularly in the W.Cape with all its vineyards and other fruit farms.
Why has there been such a stony silence then about the ugly face off between the farmworkers and those many rugby playing farmers of the W.Cape?
This is for your conscience to deal with, you two-timing hypocrites :
Guard shoots ANC boss
January 11 2013 at 07:47am
Western Cape – A private security guard shot a senior ANC official in the face on Thursday in the second day of violence during farm workers strikes in the Boland.
ANC Boland regional chairman Pat Marran was shot near De Doorns when he and a friend were confronted by three security guards outside the suburb of Sunnyside Orchard.
“He lowered his shotgun, took out a handgun and aimed it at my face. I starred down the barrel of a gun. He shot me. After I was shot they kicked me as a lay on on the ground,” Marran said on Thursday night.
Marran and his friend had been on their way to the Sunnyside Orchard residential area when three guards confronted them.
“There was argument and one of them said ‘Shoot him, shoot him’. I asked this guard: ‘Do you really want to shoot me?’ That was when he took out his handgun,” Marran said.
He was treated at Worcester Hospital and discharged.
Marran was the man who rescued Cape Times reporter Xolani Koyana and visiting journalism student Aw Cheng Wei from a mob that attacked them in De Doorns on Wednesday and set their car alight.
This incident on Thursday came amid renewed violence in the Boland when fields were set alight, property was damaged and there were clashes between police and farmworkers protesting for higher wages.
De Doorns and Wolseley were the worst-affected areas.
On Thursday morning, protesters gathered on the sports field in De Doorns adjacent to the N1. There was a tense stand-off after protesters sang struggle songs and chanted slurs at police.
About midday police used rubber bullets to disperse the crowd of about 800 people, who then ran to the Stofland informal settlement, setting tyres and tree stumps alight along their way. Veld fires were started next to the N1 by protesters.
Police fired rubber bullets, stun grenades and used a water canon to disperse the crowd, which had increased to more than 4 000 by 3pm.
Protesters, who claimed they were farmworkers, pelted police and Nyalas with stones. They ran in between houses to hide in bushes and in residents’ homes.
The violence continued with protesters throwing stones at photographers and reporters. Police managed to clear the N1 of protesters by 4pm, after which they moved to the Stofland informal settlement and fired rubber bullets at random.
The road was cleared of debris and stones, but remained closed.
In Wolseley, about 800 protesters, who also claimed to be farmworkers, were stopped by police from entering the town centre.
At about 11am, a police Nyala blocked the Pine Valley Bridge on the road that links the area with the town centre.
Groups of about 50 youths ran into Pine Valley graveyard, throwing stones at police. They shouted slurs at photographers and threatened to target them.
An hour after the protest started the police retreated. A police Tactical Response Team was brought in to help disperse the crowd.
Protesters regrouped by 1pm and just 30 minutes later they furiously ran back at police, throwing stones and using zinc sheets to shield themselves against the rubber bullets.
Police spokesman André Traut said protests were reported in Grabouw, De Doorns, Ceres, Barrydale, Bonnievale, Rawsonville and Villiersdorp. In Grabouw a man was shot and taken to hospital when police arrested three people looting a shop.
More than 30 people were arrested on Thursday, compared with the 63 people held on Wednesday for public violence.
Agriculture MEC Gerrit van Rensberg’s spokesman, Wouter Kriel, said: “We see levels of violence as a barometer of the levels of frustration of workers. We are urging everyone to refrain from violence.”
ANC provincial chairman Marius Fransman called for an immediate end to the violence.
He urged police to probe the deployment of people to protect farms. “We must start looking at whether this is an issue of mercenaries being sent.”
Cape Times
11 Jan 2013, 19:08 pm
Are you all Rip Van Winkles as you sleep through a w h o r e/war even with you heads on rugby balls?
11 Jan 2013, 19:12 pm
@playtheball-33:
He’s not a ban captain but Jean should be the obvious choice, he showed good leadership with the Boks
11 Jan 2013, 19:15 pm
@Neilanate-35:
Google “Keo.co.za”
“keo.co.za
Daily RUGBY news from South Africa and the rest of the world from RUGBY writer Mark Keohane. Includes reader feedback and commentary from leading coaches”
11 Jan 2013, 19:34 pm
We need something similar for rugby, it could be sown on a scrumcap
http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/11/mc10-reebok-checklight-hands-on/?ncid=webmail1
11 Jan 2013, 21:55 pm
My team:
15 Jaco Taute
14 Gio Aplon
13 Juan De Jongh
12 Jean de Villiers
11 Bryan Habana
10 Elton Jantjes
9 Nic Groom
8 Duane Vermeulen
7 Siya Kolisi
6 Schalk Bruger
5 Andries Bekker
4 Eben Etzebeth
3 Pat Cilliers
2 Deon Fourie
1 Steven Kitshoff
16 Tiaan Liebenberg
17 Deon Carstens
18 Francois Malherbe
19 Michael Rhodes
20 Nizaam Carr
21 Louis Schroeder
22 Peter Grant
23 Gerrhard Van Den Heever
11 Jan 2013, 22:06 pm
Jean vir WP kaptein. Schalla too busy klapping farmwerkers in De Doorns.
11 Jan 2013, 22:10 pm
@Rhys7-39: Good team, but I’d put Eldstadt on the bench in place if Carr. I’d also leave GVDH out and put Swiel in. Timo should be introduced at 12 as cover for JDV and to start giving him a taste of SR, but a bit more time to make decisions, ala Dan Carter. Siya and Schalk should swap numbers.
12 Jan 2013, 00:02 am
@Rhys7-39:
Only 22 players. Look for the 8-man bench in 2014, but not at this stage.
My team (second-choice in brackets)
15 Jaco Taute (Joe Pietersen)
14 Gio Aplon (Gerhard van den Heever)
13 Juan De Jongh (JP du Plessis)
12 Jean de Villiers (*Peter Grant)
11 Bryan Habana (Damian de Allende)
10 Elton Jantjes (*Peter Grant)
9 Dewaldt Duvenage (**Louis Schreuder/Nic Groom)
8 Duane Vermeulen (Nizaam Carr)
7 Siya Kolisi (Michael Rhodes)
6 Schalk Bruger (***Kolisi rotate in)
5 Andries Bekker (De Kock Steenkamp)
4 Eben Etzebeth (Rynhardt Elstadt)
3 Pat Cilliers (Frans Malherbe)
2 Deon Fourie (Tiaan Liebenberg)
1 Steven Kitshoff (Deon Carstens)
*Peter Grant would cover both 10 & 12 through the season.
**IMO, Schreuder and Groom are both very valuable players, as is Duvenage, and all 3 should play some part. Ideally pick a starter, with the other 2 rotating between the bench and Vodacom Cup rugby.
***Don’t see any other options beyond Schalk (probable) or Siya for the openside jersey, so it would fall to one of them if the 1st-choice is out.
- I like Ntubeni’s motor. I just won’t ever believe that heavily investing in a player who can’t break 100kg’s is a good idea. He’s just too small and is bound to be exposed.
- I think you need one of De Kock Steenkamp or Ruan Botha playing an active role behind Bekker. Otherwise they need to start using Etzebeth as a 5-lock/middle jumper NOW.
- Timo Swiel may need to be introduced as a fullback at some stage during the season. If not, then they need to look at cutting back on their stocks for next years SR campaign and bringing him through as a fullback. No point wasting his youth. Bound to destroy some opposition in the Vodacom Cup.
12 Jan 2013, 00:40 am
@hendrikp-42:
Not bad at all.
Personally I will never start with Fourie as hooker (brilliant player in the loose but cannot do the basics) while I will seriously consider de Allende at no 12 instead of wing ( great hands and boot).
Ntubeni might be relatively small but somehow the scrums seem to work better with him at no 2 while his throwing into the lineouts is so much better than Fourie’s.
Re Swiel, I fully agree, the sooner the better. Same goes for Pat Howard who is pure class.
I will also start with Groome- just more physical and unpredictable than Duvenhage- the type of player that will always keep the opposition honest. He reminds me of a young Ricky January.
12 Jan 2013, 03:46 am
@Robzim-43:
My take on Deon Fourie… He’s a good rugby player, regardless of whether he’s playing hooker or in the loose-forwards. Yes, I sometimes wish we had a more in-your-face type hooker like Bissie, but if Deon can sort out his line-out throwing (and the entire line-out functions better actually) then I’m confident that hooker is the position best suited to his physical dimensions.
I’m one that is not too confident with de Allende as a 12. Instinctively I think he’s more of a ball-in-hand type rather then looking to put guys into space and so forth. I’d rather look to Kobus van Wyk (my choice) or Johnny Kotze as the future in that jersey.
Ntubeni is just too small. Always going to be that way. It’s something he can’t escape unfortunately. I don’t think we’ve seen enough of him to determine that he is capable of playing at a very high level despite his size.
Patrick Howard… Thing is I reckon JP du Plessis is obviously the best option behind Juan de Jongh – might even put some pressure on. He’s definitely in the same shoes as Timo Swiel. A youngster who could be making a big impression, but isn’t even 2nd-choice.
Juan de Jongh – JP du Plessis – Patrick Howard
Jaco Taute – Joe Pietersen – Timo Swiel
With Groom. I’m a firm believer in needing a rugby-brain in the 9 jersey. Groom still needs ‘development’ I feel. The Stormers did it the wrong way last season, handing virtually every minute to Duvenage, and then panicking when he got injured. Best way forward I think is sticking to your systems (which has won them a lot of games in Super Rugby) and then allowing Schreuder and Groom to both put the pressure on Duvenage.
12 Jan 2013, 08:06 am
@Robzim-43:
The problem with leaving Fourie out of the starting XV at 2 is that we’d have no genuine fetcher on the field.
12 Jan 2013, 11:16 am
@RugbyStudent-2:
Why Taute ahead of Joe?
Why Duvenhage ahead of Groom?
Why Rhodes ahead of Elstadt/Kolisi?
@Jonck-17:
“The defending SA conference champions….”
Sounds very good.
@victoriabok-30:
He was not 1st choice captain of Stormers to begin with. Only got the captaincy when Schalk got injured. Schalk will be reinstated imo.
Having two senior leaders like that should be seen as an advantage ala Zinzan and Fitzpatrick.
@hendrikp-44:
“With Groom. I’m a firm believer in needing a rugby-brain in the 9 jersey. Groom still needs ‘development’ I feel.”
How is he going to develop if you don’t play him? For all the chances he had, DD has not developed at all imo.
———————————————————
Good squad overall. Definitely better than the Sharks squad. Conference winners again?
12 Jan 2013, 12:03 pm
WC farmers pay farmworkers the same (if not more) as in all the other provinces so why is there strking only in the WC? The difference is that the WC is under DA rule (thank goodness). Tony Ehrenreich and Marius Fransman are trying to create anarchy to destabilize the WC even if it means harming the economy. I’d like to personally pw00sklap both those idiots.
Good squad. Lots of depth. This team is gonna break some Shark fin again this year!!!
12 Jan 2013, 12:29 pm
I support the strike action in the WC.For centuries these poor people have been exploited by the Afrikaner element of our society.Good on those people to stand up for themselves against Afrikaner tyranny .
12 Jan 2013, 12:43 pm
If you wanna strike do so without violence, looting, destroying property and vehicles. Nothing wrong with peaceful strikes. R70 a day is nothing short of disgraceful I agree though. The problem is that the minimum wage is set by national government. It was agreed to by none other than Cosatu – the same farkers who now wanna stir it up.
Again I ask – there are farms all over SA – why is this only happening in the WC? Its obvious. Fransman and Ehrenreich are using the plight of these poor farmworkers for their own political gain. Why doesn’t Cosatu or the ANC arrange for strikes in other provinces? The answer is easy – they govern there so they won’t. The people the farmworkers should be taking action against is national government.
With national government setting minimum wage so low its obvious that some farmers would exploit it. Government should renegotiate and set the minimum wage at R90. R150 a day and farmers will mechanise and the workers will be without jobs.
12 Jan 2013, 15:06 pm
if there is one south african team i hope loses in the most heartbreaking fashion… its this one.
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